The Windham County reformer. (Battleboro, Vt.) 1876-1897, 1887-04-08

A MYSTERIOUS MURDER.

New Jerseys Dark Mystery-A HOung
Woman Found Mu 0Vrrd Railway,
j, and No Glue 70 Her Assa,lant-
huugsing Dess ctiYs Work-Unhble Ia
Identify the Body.
The Railway mystery. which has become the
talk OF the whole country, would furnish the
groundwork for detective story by some
Gaboriau. But there are no Lecocqs in New
Jersey, evidently, and either the detectives Of
that state are bunclng in an extraordinary
manner, or the death of the young woman at
Railway promises to be the mystery OF the
period. 1t is the dream of every rustic detect
i've in New Jersey just now to solve the dark
| tragedy. But they are completely in the dark.
No one knows the victim. No one Know5 the
murderer. Thousands of people have care
fully examined the frozen face of the girl.
There have been several supposed identified
tions, but in no case was the recognition
verified.
The facts in the case will be recalled. Early
Saturday morning, March %, some farmers
driving into the city OF Railway, N J, along
Central avenue. found the dead body of a
woman, about % years OF age. Her head had
been jammed into the mud, and the heel marks
on her cheek showed that an attempt had been
made to disfgure her beyond recognition. Her
throat was cut, her clothing torn and her arms
were twisted in an unnatural position. She haa
been handsome woman, with notceably good
figure and small hands and feet. She wore kid
gloves and nicely fitting shoes. Her black straw
turban hat was trimmed with red ribbon, and
1t was observed that all her belongings were Of
foreign make. A dainty willow basket con-
tanning some unbroken eggs was found near
by, and in brock that crosses the avenue
policeman discovered black hand sachel con
tanning dresses and underclothing A blood
stained knife Of foreign manufacture, and not
now in the market, was picked up In an adjoin-
ing field, A brown wrap was torn to tatters,
but silk sack was not much injured. Attached
to the valise was q tag from New York ex-
press Office which has not been in existence for
ten years. Her clothing proved to be about
what Danish woman would wear.
Such are the facts In the case, now for the
theories. Several persons have been suspected.
The name Of William keech, resident of
Railway, is connected with the tragedy. He is
a worthless fellow who has son in prison and
q wife on B!ackwelPs Island. Keech lives with
a family named Froatt, and the unfortunate
woman was going away from this house |
toward Railway when assaulted. A little boy |
claimed that be had seen the murdered woman |
at the Frcatt's and that he had also seen her |
display roll Of bills. Another clue is that of |
4 group of three Germans-a woman and two |
men-who had an excited conversation at the |
CORTLAND street ferry at New York on the very /
Friday of the murder They rad secured tick. |
ITS for Railway, and one of the men had
warned the woman not to go, as she would get |
INTO trouble, The woman was dressed like the |
victim. IL f0 -ru II L .nf 3ie |
The number of positive identfcations of the
body, which turned out to be false, is one of
he strangest phases of the case. Superintsnd-
mt Harrison of the Newark9cit home said the
corpse was that of Mary Matby, a former in
nate but Mary turned up AZ police rheadquar-
ers the next day as mad, as a hornet. Z II
Eldridge Of Brooklyn iecognizsd the body as
hat of Mary Cregan, and be4leved 1t until Mary
wrote him letter. rs
The impression is that the girl was killed by
man living at Railway, and that the motive
vas money! She was not outraged 1t be- |
ieved that the authorities are holding back
'lues in their possession. A very important one |
s handful OF hair which swps found on the
'rcast OF the murdered girl, and which she bad
vidcntly torn out OF the head Or beard of her
ssailaDt. -
Tuesdays papers reported Tho sudden dlsap-
earance of William h2erh. This will contirin
be opinion OF many that h. fugitive is the
ui!ty man ard that TIC detectives have bean
hasing shadows.
Two more "positiys" idantG .a.ions have oc-
uried in the past two DAYS. Mrs Barbara
Ieymeyer, OF Albany, ils, O The girl as her
augbter, and Ia cInzy VIA grief. Mrs G n
liler, Il Railway miiner. tells story that
clips strengthen the suspicion against Keecb.
be says: Zone day last Deem Der, fair
aired, rosy faced young woman cane into my
ore TO arrange for the purchase OF sowing
am. She was accompanied by O scrawsy
'okipg woman OF repulsive features, whom she
escribed to me as her mother. She said her
anne was MRS Froatt, and, agreeing to pay an
stalment on the delivery of The machine, Ex-
ressman Westerycit took IL to the Froatt house.
be young woman came to my store several
mes to receive instructions in running the ma.
line, and finally an insirnctress was sent by
'e Singer company to the Froatt house. This
oman went once and refused to 60 again,
Iying it was not a fit place for any one to be
i. She advised that the machine be taken
way, and accordingly II was. After the muir.
n viewed the body and recognized 1t as that
the girl who bought the machine. The other !.
'ening the expressman, Westervet, was at the l
>ute. He wanted to know IL I had seen the
'dy at the morgue. told him yes. Then he
anted TO know II did not think 1t was that OF
Q woman whose machine be had taken away
Milton. l could net but say yes to that
lestion too. The face is a little fuller than 1t
IS when saw the girl, and the stamps on the 4
CO have disfigured It SO as to make an une.
livocal Identification Of the remains out of the
Iestion, but am satisfied that the fresh, rosy
ced girl at Fr0att's house lies in the morgue
day." Meanwhile Keech has disappeared,
It the officers pretend TO know where he is.
The citizens Of Railway have decided to erect
monument over the grave OF the murdered
II. and City Clerk Marsh has already received
OO in contributions. The funeral will be on
nday, with services in the lecture room OF
} First Presby terian church. Rev William
~ will oficae.